Figments
by whimsycality
Summary: Two people who ruined their lives for love start something new with each other. It's not healthy, and they're not quite sane, but Liz and Damon can't stay away, and their relationship will alter both of their fates.
1. Not You

**A/N: **So this is an angsty one shot cross with Vampire Diaries (show verse, not book verse and if you haven't given it a chance, trust me, once you make it past the first few episodes it is freaking amazing and even better than the books IMO, which I never say). For Vamp Diaries it's set just after the first episode of the second season, and for Roswell it's set just post an AU Departure where Michael stayed, but they didn't catch them in time to stop the others.

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><p><em><strong>Not You<strong>_

_It was always Stefan. It's always going to be Stefan._

Nine words, fifteen syllables, simple and straightforward. Not that the word choices matter, the meaning is clear. _You are not enough._ That is what those words really mean, whether they are being spoken with casual indifference by the bitch who owned him, destroyed him, and reformed him in her image, or her descendant, whose core of innocence, of good, draws him in like a suicidal moth to a bitter flame. The words burn, sinking into his blood and rushing towards his brain, more painful than vervain or some faux scientific vampire killing device.

Pain makes him crazy, makes him more crazy, and he lashes out, knowing it is what the bitch expects, but unable to help himself, unable to stop himself from making _her_ hate him again, from unleashing the chaos he originally turned to in the bitch's name, and now revels in for its own sake. Watching Jeremy crumple to the floor, pain and hate blooming in Elena's eyes, it is soothing balm and stinging salt.

Kiss or Kill; he should have picked kill. Then he wouldn't have heard those words from either set of poisonous lips; then he wouldn't have spread the pain that is his disease, his cure. He knows he's a sociopath, or near enough, and sometimes he even manages to care enough to wish that he wasn't. Especially at times like this, when he fails so miserably at not caring, at flipping that damn switch.

He leaves, unable to face her, but not knowing where to go where he won't be reminded of her, or her, or him. He steals his brother's little red sex machine and drives, recklessly, until he reaches another stupid tiny town, finds another bar empty of familiar faces. When he walks in, he sees a flash of dark hair and almost walks back out, but the girl, woman, turns, and though she also has dark eyes, she looks nothing like either of the women who he burns for, and so he smirks, channeling his pain into that reckless charm that all women love, teeth aching for a bite.

Maybe blood will wash away his sins.

_I wish this all could have been different. Not like I love you._

His final words keep playing over and over again in her head until she wants to scream because there's no room left for anything else. He wishes, he loves, he fucks up, and once again she is left to deal with the consequences, to try and pick up the shattered pieces of her life. Her cell phone vibrates again and she chucks it under the seat, Maria's unceasing calls more than she can deal with right now. Maria got to keep her man; Maria has someone to comfort her over the loss of Alex, and someone she should be comforting over the loss of his family. And Kyle, he already left for the summer, without looking back once, not that she blames him.

So now it's just her, and her father's truck, a large bundle of bills, still withdrawn from her aborted trip to Sweden, and the open road. She's been driving for almost thirty hours and finally decides to stop, because if she keeps going, she'll soon be driving into the Atlantic Ocean. She finds a small town with a seedy bar and slips some of her stash of bills into her pocket along with her fake ID from Vegas.

The bored and tired bartender doesn't even ask for her ID and she quickly orders, and just as quickly downs, a rum and coke. Spinning the empty glass idly in her fingers, she debates between ordering another, or sticking with beer from then on out. Something prickles the back of her neck and she turns to see someone walking into the bar, oozing sex and pain and danger, and looking just as out of place in this worn down flea trap as she does, although for a completely different reason. He catches her eye, smirking with confident charm, and instead of blushing like Perfect Miss Parker would (because really, what the hell has Perfect Miss Parker done for her lately?), the reckless part of her that just doesn't give a shit anymore grins invitingly, signaling the bartender for two shots of tequila like a pro, and sliding one down to him when he claims the stool next to hers.

They don't speak, not in words, just knowing glances, rough chuckles, and perfectly casual brushes of fingers and hips, downing shot after shot until she's feeling warm and electric and forgetful. He pulls her to her feet, fingers locking around her wrist, and half walks, half carries her towards the door. Once outside, the shock of freezing cold air jolts her enough that she can stand on her own, and when he pushes her against the wall, one hand sliding around her waist under her shirt and the other grabbing her hair and tipping her head back, she pulls him closer, desperate to feel.

Their lips meet and their tongues clash, tasting of salt and lime, and she moans as they feed off each other's rage and pain, her nails digging into his chest as he rocks into the cradle of her hips. He suddenly rips away from her mouth and goes for her neck and she gasps as instead of the expected kiss, there's a shock of pain and teeth and the copper smell of blood, followed by a staccato flash of images across the back of her eyelids – him in the uniform of a confederate soldier, a beautiful and vicious woman, a brother he loved and hated, and actions driven by love and madness.

A sudden fierce swell of electricity rises within her and her back bows with pain and pleasure.

When the aftershocks of bliss fade, he's pulled away from her, her blood staining his mouth, and is staring down at her in shock as the wound on her neck heals with a crackle of green lightning. He cocks his head to the side, idly licking his lips, and scans her from head to toe before smirking. "I don't know what you are, but that was the best drink of my life."

Her breath is coming in sharp, short pants as faint shudders send tingles through her body, and after a moment she starts to laugh, the absurdity of the situation overwhelming any chance of fear, and she doesn't stop laughing until her whole body is shaking and tears are trickling down her cheeks. When she stops, he's still holding her, lips still curled up faintly and face dark with the reflections of demons she doesn't want to see. She reaches up, pulls his head down to her level, and whispers. "I don't _care_ what you are, but I want you to make this the best night of my life."

He takes a step back and suddenly she thinks he's going to leave, but then he holds out his hand, dark eyes glinting with challenge, and she takes it because she thinks she's finally met someone who's done even stupider things than her in the name of love, and she can't wait to taste him again.


	2. Perceptual Constancy

**A/N: **Sequel to Not You, AU post Departure for Roswell, and set during season two, episode four of Vamp Diaries. A note on timelines, clearly we're pretending that 2001 and 2010 are the same year so I don't have to deal with the fact that Liz should be 27/28, also, from fan made timelines for Vamp Diaries (which is WAY worse than Roswell when it comes to comprehensible time continuity, it's ridiculous) it's sometime mid July, so no one's in school. And I'm not sure exactly why I switched from present to past tense, but there shouldn't be any more switches in any ensuing vignettes (of which there should be at least one or two more), hope it's not too confusing.

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><p><em><strong>Perceptual Constancy<strong>_

Liz closed her eyes and let Maria's near hysterical babble wash over her as she leaned against the counter, breathing deeply and resisting the urge to rub her temples where her perpetual headache was worsening by the minute.

"Unless you want us to be late to the movie, you need to go change," Michael's gruff voice interrupted them and Liz opened her eyes and smiled at him gratefully as Maria disappeared into the back with a squeal. "Get some rest, Parker, you look like hell," he stated dryly, sinking onto the stool next to her.

Propping her chin on her palm, she grimaced. "Thank you for that sensitive appraisal." He chuckled and she rolled her eyes at him. "I'm actually thinking of getting out of town for a little bit, maybe visiting some friends on the coast."

He raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Be careful."

She managed a tired grin and waggled her fingers at him, allowing green sparks to crackle between them. "I will; you try and keep your girlfriend sane, and from inciting her soon to be step-brother to homicide."

Michael snorted. "The midget knows better, I'd zap his Buddha-loving ass."

They exchanged slightly sad smiles, banter not quite covering the gaping hole left by the loss of half their group, and were saved from an awkward silence by Maria reappearing through the swinging doors wearing a short purple dress and a forced smile. "Let's get this date night going!"

Liz watched them go, glad that Michael had proved the strongest of all of them despite losing the most, before shoving all thoughts of their fucked up lives out of her head and heading for her room to grab the bag she'd already packed. Michael had been promoted to assistant manager and they'd hired two new waitresses so her working was more of a distraction than a necessity, and a failing distraction at that.

Her parents were out of town for yet another restaurant convention, and she'd told them that she planned to visit the house Grandma Claudia left her for the first time, with the intention of possibly staying there for the next month. She might actually visit the house, but mostly it was the perfect cover to see a certain vampire, who was more than capable of making her forget that _anyone_ else existed.

x

Damon smirked bemusedly at the brunette in the passenger seat, still not exactly sure what nebulous urge had led to him inviting her to the barbeque instead of screwing her brains out in the backseat and sending her on her way. Not that he didn't intend to at least do the first part later, possibly multiple times.

Something about her presence soothed the restless fury that had raged relentlessly inside of him ever since Katherine reappeared in their lives with her usual flare for destruction, and something about her made him twitch with an entirely different kind of restlessness, a craving for that electric, hit by lightning taste in her blood, a craving for the way he could feel himself drowning in her emotions instead of his own when his fangs sank into her.

Elena hating him, Katherine doing her best to destroy their lives, again, and the sudden threat of death by werewolf bite, all faded into insignificance when touching the golden skin of the spitfire from Roswell, whose mind resisted his every attempt at manipulation, and who had proven to be explosive in the sack – he thought he'd seen and _done_ everything, but even he'd never seen stars after sex before.

Her very existence was an enigma, even more so than Elena's; he found a doppelganger easier to believe in than aliens after nearly two centuries as living proof of the supernatural. And the fact that she could see into his head, had seen his bloodiest, most violent memories, and never batted an eyelash. Well, he was pretty sure it was a sign of dangerous mental instability, but it was also a welcome change from the ceaselessly judgmental do-gooders he was surrounded by in Mystic Falls.

Liz raised an eyebrow at him at his continued silence and intent stare, her dark eyes glinting. "You can eat me, or we can go to this dinner thing, not both. And you apparently have a werewolf to catch, so…."

"Never doubt my ability to multitask," he advised with a suggestive leer. "And you don't have to sound so amused by my life being in danger."

She grinned and flipped her hair back, teasingly baring her neck. "I can't help it; it's so refreshing to watch someone else deal with life threatening situations that no one else believes even exists."

He narrowed his eyes and moved, appearing on the other side of the car and opening her door with a flourish and a slight bow. "Well then, Miss Parker, let's go entertain you and flush out the mangy mutt."

x

Jenna was sweet and hilarious, reminding her of a younger version of her Aunt Elise. Alaric was handsome in a damaged way, his tangled and conflicting emotions tasting like Damon might have a century younger. Elena and Caroline were beautiful, with eyes full of secrets, making her nostalgic for the days when her life revolved around Alex and Maria, a perfect triangle of friendship now shattered beyond repair. And Mason, well he was charming, ridiculously good looking, and radiated a primal energy that made her alien-induced sixth sense tingle with images of fur and teeth and rending flesh.

She made sure to touch him when she passed him the pencil for Pictionary, and followed silently when he confronted Damon in the kitchen at the end of the night, listening in the hallway and rolling her eyes as they proved once and for all that neither age nor species mattered when it came to the ridiculousness of male territorial displays.

"He's lying," she said quietly as she stepped into the room after Mason walked away, "He's not here for his family, or at least, not entirely."

"Obviously," Damon declared with an eye roll, running his finger along the edge of the silver knife he was handling with gleeful menace.

Ignoring him, Liz continued. "And his head is full of Katherine."

Damon's grip tightened and the knife bent in half, she smirked slightly. "So you might want to scrap the 'kill him' plan, and change it to the 'find out what the fuck is going on' plan."


	3. Little Insane

**A/N:** Set just after the last part and during the same episode. Also, thank you all very much for your reviews and I'm sorry it took so long to get this part out. It shouldn't be nearly so long before the next one.

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><p><em><strong>Little Insane<strong>_

Liz stared out the car window, contemplating the differences between alien battles and supernatural wars. Supernatural confrontations seemed to be more intimate, and a lot more talky. She'd thought Nicholas had been a verbose villain, but the vicious and frequently petty wordplay the various beings in Mystic Falls indulged in was on a whole different, and grandiose scale.

Tilting her head, she stared at Damon, admiring the strong, sharp planes of his face as she skimmed the surface of his chaotic thoughts.

"I can't believe I once thought I was obsessed with Max. I don't think anyone has ever defined that word as well as you," she mused out loud, chuckling as he flinched and glared.

"Stop doing that," he snapped, fingers tensing on the steering wheel and making the plastic groan.

She snorted and turned her head back towards the road. "What? You can't handle being the victim of mental meddling? How unattractively hypocritical of you."

Damon hit the brakes and the car came to a sudden halt, the seat belt tightening almost painfully against Liz's neck. Turning towards him, Liz met his glowing eyes with a sultry smirk, running a finger down the angry red mark on her throat. "Temper, temper. If you wanted a little rough foreplay, all you had to do was ask."

He growled and leaned towards her, undoing her seat belt with a forceful click. Before his lips, or his teeth, could make contact, someone knocked on the driver's side window. Frowning, Liz lifted her eyes as Damon turned, and blinked as she saw who, or rather what, was standing on the other side.

"Katherine," Damon breathed, anger far from the only emotion in his voice as Liz's lips twisted in frustration. She could really learn to hate this particular bitch.

They both stepped out of the car, Damon's eyes locked on the lovely form of his sire as Liz reached out to touch her mind.

"Hello, Damon," Katherine purred, ignoring Liz who had made her way around the car to stand a few feet away from the two vampires. "You look like you're having a bad day."

Liz laughed, a sharp-edged sound that cut through the building tension and forced Katherine to acknowledge her presence with a haughty glare. "What gave you that idea? Or have you forgotten what Damon looks like when he's ready for a good fuck."

Katherine's lips tightened, but Damon chuckled darkly, his eyes drifting from his sire to her, something like gratitude glinting in their depths. "Katherine only gets off on power, I don't think she even enjoys a good fuck unless it's a mindfuck."

The brunette vampire's angry expression turned into a pout as she turned towards her former lover. "Don't tell me you've forgotten our nights together so quickly, Damon. I remember the sound of your pleasure very well."

Damon's lips lifted into a twisted smirk. "And I remember thinking you'd died only to discover that you didn't even consider me worth a goodbye. Go fuck with someone else, Katherine, and while you're at it, keep your pet werewolf on a leash. If he kills Stefan or anyone else I'm feeling fond of for the moment, I'll make sure your next death sticks."

Katherine snarled and slammed Damon into the car, taking a step back as he fell to the ground and summoning her pride like a cloak. "I made you, Damon. You'll never be strong enough to kill me, no matter how much you try to convince yourself you want to."

Then she was gone and they were alone on the side of the road, staring at each other for a long, silent moment. Finally, Damon rose to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and grinned recklessly. "Well that was fun."

Liz shook her head with a dark smile. "And to think I agree with you. Even I don't know which of us is more fucked up." Raising an eyebrow, she frowned at him. "Are you sure it was a good idea to let her know that we know about Mason?"

Damon shook his head and then yanked her in for a bruising kiss, his teeth nicking her bottom lip and his tongue swiping away the resulting drops of blood. "No, but then, bad ideas are kind of my thing, so why stop now?"

Liz's smile was a little softer, a little more real, as she lifted a hand to his face and stroked her thumb down her cheek. "No reason I can think of. Now let's go back to your place – we still haven't broken in your bathtub and you still haven't fucked me today."

His answer didn't involve words and Liz moaned breathily, thoughts of werewolves and vampires and coming confrontations vanishing in a wave of pleasure. The sex was definitely the best and biggest difference between her old and new lives and she'd take orgasms over alien driven angst any day.


	4. Complications

_**Complications**_

Michael looked up from where he was scrubbing the grill as the bell over the Crashdown door jingled, well aware that he had locked that door an hour before. It was Liz, back from her trip, but she wasn't alone. A darkly handsome man came in behind her, his lips curled into a smirk and his energy pulsing like nothing Michael had ever felt before. Liz was grinning, the happiest expression Michael had seen on her since the Granilith blasted off into space, and there was a sway to her hips that he'd never noticed before.

"So, this is the Crashdown," the man drawled, his eyes roaming over the room. "How...quaint."

Liz laughed and turned around, pulling his face down for a lingering kiss that made Michael's eyebrows shoot up. "Oh shut up. Like the Grill has any more class. At least we have an excuse – tourist money pays the bills."

The man scoffed at her words, but then kissed her again, before looking up and meeting Michael's gaze. "Now, honey, why don't you introduce me to the brooding alien over there, before he decides I'm one of those enemies of yours and am mind whatevering you."

Liz giggled, a sound Michael couldn't decide if he liked or not, and turned around, walking towards the window over the grill and dragging the man with her. What on earth was Parker doing telling people about them? He knew she was struggling with things, but there were lines you didn't cross. Her cheerful voice interrupted his building anger. "Hey, Michael. This is Damon, he's a vampire. Yes, those are real, and yes, he's bitten me, but I promise that it was 110% consensual."

Michael blinked, suddenly less concerned about exposure, and more concerned about Liz's sanity. "So, Parker, about that emotional instability you've been teetering on the edge of all summer..."

Damon, the supposed vampire, laughed, and Liz rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I'm a little unstable, but no, I'm not crazy." She shot him a pointed look. "I think you, of all people, should be willing to accept that the world is more complicated than most people realize." Michael frowned at her and she grinned again. "He'd be perfectly willing to provide a demonstration, but I'm not willing to share."

The man flashed him a smile which revealed shiny white fangs and protruding veins around his eyes and Michael blinked again. Right. Vampires. Okay. He would provisionally accept that explanation because he just couldn't bring himself to give much of a fuck. And, he supposed it meant the other man was unlikely to rat them out to the government. "That's okay, Parker, I _really_ don't want you to share."

She giggled again. "Have a good night, Michael, we'll be upstairs." Then she turned and dragged Damon away towards the swinging doors. Once they'd gone through the doors, she paused again at the entrance to the kitchen. "Oh, and I'd ignore any noises you hear. I promise, those will also be consensual."

He stared at her, more than a little shocked by how much Perfect Miss Parker had changed since that day two years ago. After a moment, he nodded, and waved her away. "Have fun." After all, his brother had fucked her over royally, so if Liz wanted to find happiness with some...vampire, then he certainly wasn't going to judge her for it.

Liz flashed him a smile, a hint of relief in her eyes and genuine happiness on her face, then vanished up the stairs, the sound of giggles, and other things, reaching his ears before the door to her apartment slammed. Now came the real hard part of the evening. To tell or not to tell his volatile girlfriend about her best friend's new playmate. Damn Parker all to hell for continuing to make his life more complicated.

x

x

x

Liz moaned as Damon's teeth sunk into her inner thigh, sending pulses of electricity straight to her core. He pulled away and licked his lips, grinning up at her. "You were right, that uniform is hot. I have no idea how that idiot ex of yours never ripped it off of you in a fit of passion."

Shooting him a faint glare, Liz reached down and pulled him up her body, enjoying the feel of his leather jacket scraping against her bare skin. "I think we need a rule about mentioning our exes while we're naked or engaging in sexual activity." She slid a hand between them, unbuttoning his jeans and smiling as he twitched against her palm. "Now take these clothes off so they can party with my uniform on the floor."

"Yes, ma'am," he purred, moving faster than her eye could blink. Less than a second later he was on top of her again, deliciously naked, and she moaned as his hardness pressed between her legs. "Any other rules you'd like us to follow?" he queried, one of his hands wandering teasingly between her breasts.

She laughed and yanked him down for a kiss, biting his lower lip hard enough to draw blood and leisurely licking away the drops as his pupils dilated with desire. "I'll let you know as they come to me."

He growled and claimed her mouth and no more words were spoken.


	5. The Worst Laid Plans

**A/N:** This one's set during Rose, the day after Elena was kidnapped during the Masquerade.

_**The Worst-Laid Plans**_

Stefan scowled, his body stiff with tension as they stood outside the school. "This has Katherine written all over it."

Damon shook his head, running an agitated hand through his hair and turning it into even more of a beautiful disaster. "Katherine's in the tomb. Trust me; I'm the one who shut her in."

"Did you?" Stefan asked challengingly, stepping closer to his brother and radiating aggression.

Damon's eyes narrowed as he refused to give ground. "Did I what, Stefan?"

"Well, I know the hold that Katherine has on you," Stefan answered, his tone taunting and his words designed to provoke."

Liz laughed and stepped between the boys, shoving Stefan back with an electrically charged push of her hands. "What is with people thinking that you still love Katherine? It's like they keep forgetting that I've been your orgasm buddy for the past month, despite Miss Bitch being in town and doing her level best to seduce you." Rolling her eyes, she added "When she's not trying to seduce Stefan here."

She turned her gaze on Damon's brother, who was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his classically handsome face. "Why on earth are you trying to pick a fight with your brother when your girlfriend is out there, probably in need of saving? You're starting to remind me of my ex, and let me tell you, that's not a flattering comparison."

Stefan started to glare at her, but then shook his head. "You're right, I'm sorry. Damon, let's just find Elena."

Damon waved his hands dismissively. "Forget it, _brother_, besides, Katherine did say something when I shut her in there, but I thought she was lying."

"What? What did she say?" Stefan asked, voice rising as Liz joined him in staring at Damon.

"She said that Elena was in danger. And no, before you yell at me again, she didn't say anything else. Like I said, I thought she was trying to manipulate me into letting her go."

"Then we'll let her go, if it means getting Elena back," Stefan ground out.

Damon looked both furious and resigned and Liz rolled her eyes again. "Seriously, you two are ridiculous, my god. You have me, a psychic, and Bonnie, a witch, and your first instinct is to let your bitch of a sire out of the tomb it almost killed you to put her in? Of course Elena's in danger! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out; it doesn't mean Katherine knows anything."

The brothers both stared at her, Damon looking amused and Stefan looking thoughtful. "Damon, you take me to Elena's car and I'll see if I can catch a glimpse of her. Stefan, why don't you go find her little witchy friend and see if she can pull a rabbit out of a hat."

Stefan nodded, still regarding her intently. "I'm glad Damon was smart enough to keep you around." Turning to his brother, who looked unsure if he wanted to glare or grin, Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Let me know if you find anything and I'll call if Bonnie can help." Then he was gone, using that nifty vampire speed that Liz was deeply envious of, and she was left with her lover.

"So, shall we go find this girl that everyone ever is obsessed with?" Liz asked him teasingly, holding out her hand.

He took it with a bemused shake of his head. "My brother complimented my taste in women, and it wasn't because we're both in love with the same girl, again – I think my world just shifted on its axis." Turning to look at her, his eyes went dark. "It is smart to keep you around – since when do I make good decisions?"

"Since those decisions come with star spangled orgasms," she said with a teasing wink.

"Oh, right, that," he mused, opening the car door for her. "Well, let's go find my brother's girlfriend then so we can get back to those orgasms."

She grinned. "Now that's a plan I can get behind."

x

Liz had seen the abduction, but it was Bonnie who located Elena. Liz joined the brothers for the ride to rescue her, partly out of boredom, and partly because she was pretty sure they might end up killing each other instead of rescuing the poor girl if she let them go unsupervised.

The car ride proved her point, the tension between the boys reaching ridiculous levels, and she ended up using her powers to turn on the radio from the backseat and blast them into silence. After that it was all awkward glances and the occasional leer from Damon when he would turn and catch her stretching.

Once they arrived, the two boys bickered over how best to save Elena, given the likely age of the vampire (or vampires) who had taken her. Liz cleared her throat and held up her hands, which were coated in flickering green electricity. "So, somehow, I don't think the vampires will be expecting your alien tag-along. All in favor of Stefan and I going in the front while Damon takes the back to catch any stragglers, raise your hands."

They turned to stare at her again and she sighed. "Logic, people, it exists." She supposed she couldn't judge them too harshly, given how often she'd shoved logic out the window during her two years in the alien abyss, but seriously, had she ever been as bad as these two? _Future Max_ a small voice in her head whispered and she groaned. Right. So she was just as stupid as these two. It was time they all learned to make better decisions.

While she'd been lost in self-recrimination, the other two had agreed to her plan and Damon had vanished, leaving her with his brooding brother. "Shall we do this?" she asked, her lips curving into a smile as her adrenaline started to rise. Her grin widened when a small smile flickered across his face in answer. She withdrew her earlier insult; he definitely wasn't as bad as Max.

The two of them turned as one and made their way silently and speedily towards the front door of the giant house. Liz flung the front doors open with a wave of her hand when they were still several feet away and Stefan blurred ahead of her. Liz followed and saw a dark-haired, handsome vampire holding Elena by the throat while Stefan was being blocked by a female vampire.

Lifting her hands, Liz sent a surge of force forward with her left, ripping Elena out of his arms and pushing her safely to the side while her right sent electricity crashing into his tall frame, knocking him backwards against a wall. The vampire snarled and managed to take a step forward, impressing her despite a sudden flicker of fear that perhaps her alien gifted powers would be matched by this man, who felt so old in her head that he made her bones ache.

She blinked, suddenly paying attention to everything else her senses were telling her, and lowered her hands, shoving power into her voice instead. **"Everyone Stop!"**

Stefan and the female vampire froze while Damon, who had appeared and dragged Elena farther from the confrontation, stopped his movements towards the older vampire. Liz turned her gaze back to said vampire, back to _Elijah_, and smiled. "So, I think we should avoid all of the inevitable vampire arrogance and mystery bullshit and cut to the chase. You want to use Elena to kill your brother. Since he wants to kill her for his stupid curse thing, I think we can all get behind that plan, provided that you're willing to cooperate in ensuring that Elena doesn't end up dead in the process."

The room was painfully silent after she spoke and she sighed. Somehow, she had a feeling that it would take them a while to all agree with her plan. Her _excellent_ plan. Well, hopefully she could help keep most of them alive until they figured out that she was right.


	6. Super Powers Are Contagious

**A/N:** This one's set during The Sacrifice with I think one line of dialogue taken from the episode. Katerina happened as it did in canon with the obvious exception of the Slater/Elijah stuff. Sorry it took me so long to post more on this. In addition to being busy, it was complicated to figure out what to change and what not to change (given how much I've already changed and my end goal). But, here we go with a nice long chapter, and we should have several more to reach the end of the season before I wrap this thing up.

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><p><strong><em>Super Powers Are Contagious<em>**

"I still can't believe that whole sun/moon thing was bullshit," Damon scoffed as he slumped against the wall with a scowl that did nothing to diminish his attractiveness.

Liz chuckled and smoothed her hands over his chest, enjoying the expensive feel of the fabric of his shirt. "I don't know. I mean, I obviously like you," she said with a lascivious curl of her lips, "your brother's not so bad, and Caroline is amazing. Not to mention how handsome Elijah is, but somehow I think it would be a bad idea if all vampires could walk in the sun."

Damon growled softly as she called Elijah handsome, but reluctantly nodded along with the rest of her words. "The human population would probably take a bit of a dive, and the werewolves not being bound to the moon would increase their danger. But I still don't like it."

Rolling her eyes, Liz leaned up and silenced him with a kiss. "You don't like anything. Except sex. And fanning the flames of mayhem." Damon sneered in response, his eyes twinkling dangerously, and Liz kissed him again then pulled away from his wandering hands. "Now come on; I can't wait to see the look on that bitch's face when I zap her and steal the shiny pretty thing everyone is so hot and bothered for."

"There may be an upside to this cooperation bullshit," Damon mused as he followed Liz out of the house. "You beating up on Katherine is going to be incredibly sexy."

Stefan was standing by the car, watching them with one raised eyebrow, and Liz snorted. "Aww, another big bad vampire escort? Are you trying to protect me, or her?" Stefan just smirked and opened the passenger door for her. "Oooh, I get shotgun this time? I'm moving up in the world," Liz teased as she slipped into the seat and shot a wink at Damon, who was wearing an all too familiar expression of amusement and irritation as he regarded his brother.

Stefan closed the door for her and Liz blinked, then laughed as she saw Damon sitting beside her in the driver's seat, Stefan standing on the other side of his closed door with a stoically blank expression on his face. "I really wish alien powers gave _me_ Speedy Gonzalez powers."

Damon gave her one of his dangerously sexy and slightly unbalanced smirks as Stefan climbed into the back seat. "You know, it's rather simple for you to gain the same powers we have. And I know you like it when I bite you."

Liz caught Stefan making a face in the rear view mirror and grinned. "I'll get back to you on that. Let's just keep me as the wild card for now, until our little ancient vampire curse situation is sorted out."

Damon returned her smile, but didn't speak, and Liz resisted the urge to skim through his mind to see if he was disappointed. It was difficult, but she really was trying to respect her friends', and her lover's, privacy. Mental abilities were the worst sort of ethical dilemma for someone with her boundless curiosity. She wondered how Tess justified her actions to herself, then shook off the dark thought. That was her old life, this was her new one.

"Are we picking up Elena," she asked, re-centering herself on the present.

"No," Stefan answered from the backseat. "She's had enough conversations with Katherine lately, and it will be easier for Katherine to manipulate us if she's there."

Liz raised an eyebrow, meeting his eyes in the mirror. "And how does she feel about that? I've been the girl with the over protective boyfriend; let me tell you, it never goes well for the boyfriend."

"Which is why you ended up with me, who respects your badassery," Damon inserted with a smirk.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "You agreed with me, and Elena doesn't have your advantages, Liz."

Liz hmmed to herself, but didn't speak, promising herself that she'd have a nice long conversation with Elena when she got the chance. If nothing else, she could provide an understanding ear for the perils of dealing with intense otherworldly boyfriends and their obnoxious (if occasionally endearing) protective instincts.

The rest of the car ride passed in silence and then it was a short hike through the woods towards the tomb, a place Liz had only seen in Damon's memories. "I'm feeling an intense sense of déjà vu," she muttered, remembering hikes to the various points of alien importance in Roswell.

She yelped and then shot a glare at Damon, who was pulling his hand away from her ass with exaggerated slowness. "Bet that never happened before," he stated with a confident wink.

Narrowing her eyes at him, Liz gave him a slow, dangerous grin and then pointed at his ass, sending out a green spark that made him jump. "Hmph," she snorted triumphantly, and then purposefully turned her back on him, following Stefan down the dirt path towards the stone caverns that awaited them.

When she rounded a curve in the path, she saw the stone door already open and Stefan staring into the darkened entrance with an unreadable expression on his chiseled features. Damon sauntered up behind her and slung an arm around her waist, pulling her close as they waited for Katherine to appear. Liz contemplated zapping him again, but in the end decided that fucking with Katherine would be more fun than punishing Damon any further.

Moments later, Katherine slinked into view, looking paler, dirtier, and thinner than usual, but still unbelievably gorgeous. Liz couldn't help a smile - say what you would about the mental stability of the Salvatore brothers, they had excellent taste in women.

Katherine was also smiling as she waved a hand at her dusty, cobwebbed surroundings. "Please, come on in. There's plenty of room for all of us."

"Even me?" Liz asked before either Salvatore could speak, still smiling at the other woman as she leaned into Damon's side.

Katherine's eyes flickered, but she smirked with clear confidence. "Oh, there's definitely room for you. If Damon's kept you around this long, you must taste marvellous."

Liz laughed, low and throaty, and looked up into the dark eyes of her lover. "Do I taste marvellous, darling?"

"Most definitely," Damon assured her, hunger seeping into the casual confidence he was projecting.

"Looks like you're right," Liz told Katherine brightly as she tilted her head back towards the female vampire. Katherine curved her lips into an expression that was more of a grimace than a smile and Liz stepped forward, pulling away from Damon as she approached the tomb's entrance. "Sadly, however, you won't get a chance to taste me." Lifting her hand, Liz sent small bolts of green lightning crashing into Katherine's emaciated frame, relishing the look of shock and pain that graced the other woman's beautiful face as she collided with the stone wall behind her. "Now, why don't you tell me where you're keeping the moonstone, or I'll go ahead and burn all of your clothes off."

Katherine snarled at her. "Come and get it, bitch."

Liz grinned. "With pleasure." Stepping through the invisible barrier she could feel as a slight pressure against her skin, she waited until Katherine had sprung forward and grabbed her arms before unleashing her abilities again. Katherine shrieked and fell to the ground, her hands smoking, and Liz shook her head with an affected sigh. "Oh dear, that must have hurt."

Kneeling down, Liz held out a hand and smiled as Katherine flinched away. "Now, now, no need for that. Just hand over the sparkly and I'll leave you alone."

Katherine narrowed her eyes, clearly unwilling to surrender her advantage. "I want blood," she said abruptly. "Staying in here might keep me safe from Klaus, but that doesn't do me any good if I survive only to become a dessicated corpse."

Liz didn't take her gaze off the vampire, knowing that if Katherine chose to run, Liz couldn't catch her, but waved a hand at the boys. "Do we feel like being generous?" she asked, maintaining the green electricity dancing between her fingers as Katherine stared defiantly at her hands.

She heard them murmuring and then Stefan answered. "Fine, we'll bring you blood once a week. Deal?"

Katherine allowed her gaze to stray towards the brothers. "It'd be easier to just let me out, you know."

Liz snorted and zapped her arm. "Either accept the deal or prepare to have all that pretty hair burned off."

The dishevelled brunette glared at her and sneered. "Fine," reaching into her dress, she pulled out the moonstone and flung it at Liz, who caught it easily. "Take your damn stone and get the hell out of my face."

"Believe me," Liz said dryly as she rose to her feet. "I have no desire to remain in your face." Not letting her guard down, Liz backed through the barrier, once again feeling the pressure on her skin and wondering just how closely magic was related to the abilities the aliens possessed.

Damon pulled her close the moment she was clear and Stefan plucked the moonstone from her hand as Damon held her gaze, something akin to concern in his dark eyes before he abruptly kissed her and then pulled her away from the tomb.

"Let's get back," Stefan said, tucking the moonstone into his pocket and turning towards the path. "Elijah wants us to meet his witches and hand it over."

Liz didn't respond, just slipped her hand into Damon's and followed Stefan down the path without a single backward glance. Her new life had its own complications, and dark thoughts, but despite his rough and broken edges, she had no doubts about tying her fate to Damon's, no matter what dangers, or powers, came her way as a result.


End file.
